Checkwriter



Nov. 13, 1934. E. E. PHINNEY 1,980,822

CHECKWRITER Filed April 3, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet l Jab 1 3 INVENTOR J E gar'gi-Phi/ e Nov. 13, 1934. I E. E. PHINNEY 1,930,822

CHECKWRITER Filed April 5, 1954 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ECZQZP EUPHI Q QyI Pam/WORN E. E. PHINNEY Nov. 13, 1934.

CHECKWRITER Filed April 3, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR E cigar 59PM UHQY y/m ATTORNEY E. E. PHINNEY Nov. 13, 1934.

CHECKWRITEH Filed April 5, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ill/l z z n/ r IVENTOR Edgar E1 7 irmey ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1934. pHmNEY 1,980,822

CHECKWRITER Filed April 3, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 lllllllll I INVENTOR Q 31 w gpm ATTORNEY E. E. PHINNEY Nov. 13, 1934.

CHECKWRITER INVENTOR Ed9ar.P/ inne y \j fi 27 0% ATTORQEY Nov. 13, 1934.

Filed April 3, 1934 E. E. PHlNN EY CHECKWRITER 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 (f ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHECKWRITER.

Application April 3, 1934, Serial No. 718,786

3 Claims. (01. 101-96) The invention has relation to checkwriters, and more particularly to value selecting mechanism for such machines.

The invention is designed to provide means whereby type verbally representing various numerical values may be set to the printing line by means of single digit or decimal order keys, and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the value setting racks and associated parts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the type carriers and associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, showing the type carriers in projection.

Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of the keyboard mechanism and associated parts.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the keyboard mechanism and associated. parts.

25 Fig. 9 is a detail side elevation of the operation clutch and associated parts.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary right side elevation of the machine, with casing removed.

Fig. 11 is a detail plan view of the register zeroizing mechanism.

In these drawings, the numerals 10 and 11 and numeral 12 designate two groups of value setting racks, the racks of each group representing different orders of a decimal system, and racks of corresponding order in the two groups being connected for movement in unison by shafts 13 and pinions 14. The racks 12 are connected through gears 15 with type wheels or carriers 16 (Figs. 2 v

and 3) having each figure type representing the digits from 1 to 9, while the racks 10, 11 of the other group are connected by means of pinions 17 (Figs. 2, 4, 5.) with type wheels or carriers 18 and 19, having type verbally representing the different values. The verbal system of numeration, while it is largely based upon the decimal system, includes certain numerical orders which are expressed in twentieths. For instance, the numbers from one to nineteen are designated by single words, while in some of the other orders (as one to nineteen hundred) twentieths are optional in use, but are preferable because of their brevity of notation.

Therefore, the type carriers 18 and 19 cannot have a uniform decimal arrangement, the carriers 18 being decimal except that the number 10 is omitted on the wheels representing the tens and tens of thousands, as seen in the diagram, Fig. 6, and the type carriers 19 are provided with two series of value type, one series representing the units and the other series the teens of the decimal system. These two series are preferably disposed so that the numbers of one series extend progressively about the cylinder and those of the other series extend oppositely or regressively from a point lying normally at the printing line. In Fig. 6 this normal position of rest is designated by the line 20.

It will be noted from inspection of this figure that a half step of movement of the type carriers 16, 18 and 19 will bring a neutral position to the printing line, this neutral position being either blank or provided with asterisk type as shown. 1 steps of movement fromline'20 will bring the zero and ten type to the printing line, the zero place also being represented either by blanks or asterisks on the. carriers 18 and 19, and by the figure 0 on the carrier 16. 2 steps of movement from line 20 will set up one or eleven on the carriers, etc., until finally l0 steps of movement will set up nine or nineteen 0n the carriers.

As heretofore stated, the movement of all of the racks, 10, 11 and 12 and of the type carriers 16 is in accordance with the decimal system, these movements being controlled by a plurality of banks of single digit keys (Fig. 4) designated from 0 to 9. The bottoms of these keys, when depressed against the tension of their springs and latched in depressed position by the usual key locks 21, provide stops for the racks 10 and 11, these racks having stop lugs 22, which are engaged with the keys upon operation of the machine, the distance which any lug 22 must travel before being stopped by the related key governing the setting of the type carriers in well known manner.

In explaining the arrangement whereby the decimal order keys 0 to 9 may control not only the figure type but also the word type of the carriers 18 and 19, it will be convenient to refer to an example. Assuming, therefore, that $10,307.00 is to be set up, so that the check will read:

metal lten thousandlthree hundredl*lsevenldzOlO-IOO dollars are the key lock in that colunm out of the deep notch and into engagement with a shallow notch of the keystem. Thus, the depression and locking down of the key will serve to swing the neutral position stop 31 and hold the same out of the path of movement of the lugs'22, while, if no key in a given column is depressed, the neutral position stop 31 will be held in active position by the spring 33 and, upon operation of the machine the related setting rack will be allowed only a half step movement. The key of the second bank sets up the tens of thousands wheel 18, 2% steps, this portion of the wheel having no type. This same 1 key in the ten thousand column also engages a lug 23 (Figs. 1 and 5) of a rocker 24, this rocker being connected by link 25 with rocker 26, the latter having a roller 27 guided in a cam slot 28 of a fixed frame of the machine and also engaging a slot 29 of the rack 11, related to the thousands carrier 19, so that depression of the key will rock the members 24, 26, causing the roller 27 to depress the rack 11, so that a second, upper series of teeth 30 of said rack will be engaged with the related pinion 17, and the lower, normally engaged teeth of the rack will be lowered out of mesh. This will prepare rack 11 to set the carrier 19 reversely as soon as said rack is released by depression of one of the keys in its own column. The "0 key in the units of thousands column is now depressed, and a step and a half of movement of the corresponding type carrier 19 reversely from the line 20 of Fig. 6 will be determined by engagement of the lug 22 with the bottom of the 0 key. Three hundred is now set up by depression of the figure 3 key, providing for 4 steps of forward rotation of the related type carrier. Depression of the 0 key in the tens column sets up the asterisk type representing zero on the tens type carrier 18, and does not disturb the setting of the rack 11 of the units column, the latter, therefore, being set for rotation forwardly to bring seven to the printing line,

under control of the 7 key in the units bank. De-

pression of the two zero keys representing the cent s will set up 810 and 0-100 dollars respectively, as will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 6. These settings, which have been explained as related to the carriers 18 and 19, will also effect setting of the amount in figures on the type carriers 16, all of which carriers rotate in the same direction (oppositely to the direction'of rotation of the carriers 18) and in which a half step of movement will bring a blank space to the printing line; 1 /2 steps will bring the zero type to the line, etc. It will be noted that since the racks 10 are moved uniform distances as a result of the depression of similar keys in any columns, the racks 12 will all be moved similarly under the control of similar keys, and the carriers 16 will be set up in the same manner in all columns.

The values having been set up on the keys, the

- machine will be operated to effect the printing of the check, this being done in the machine to which the invention is shown as applied by motor driven devices. The driving shaft 34 of the ma- ,chine is connected to a constantly driven clutch element 35 (Figs. 1 and 9), loosely mounted upon said shaft, by means of a spring operated clutch pawl 36, mounted upon a disk 3'7, fast upon drive shaft 34. When the machine is at rest pawl 36 is held out of clutching position by engagement thereof with a stop tooth 38, this stop tooth being rocked out of engagement with pawl 36 when the machine is to be driven. Stop tooth 38 being allowed to return to its normal position, the rotation of disk 3'7 will bring pawl 36 into contact with said tooth at the end of a single rotation. of'shaft 34 and will hold the pawl out of engagement with the clutch member 35 and prevent further rotation of shaft 34. Driving shaft 34 has gearing connection to a driven shaft 39, these two oppositely rotating shafts effecting the various movements of the machine during an operative cycle.

Upon operation of the machine, the keys will be locked in their set positions as follows:

Shaft 39 has fast thereon a cam 40 (Fig. 10), controlling the movement of a pivoted follower 41, having link connection 42 with a crank arm 43 of a rock shaft 44. Normally follower 41 is located upon the high point of cam 40, but upon rotation of shaft 39, said follower will immediately drop to an intermediate surface of the cam, giving shaft 44 a certain degree of rocking movement. A bail 45 (Fig. 4) is secured upon shaft 44, and the rocking movement of said shaft, above-described, is suflicient to move ball 45 away from a series of locking slides 46, allowing said slides, under the influence of their springs 47 to engage beneath lugs 48 (Fig. '7) of the keys which have not been depressed, and above said lugs of the keys which have been depressed, locking the selected amount into the keyboard during the operation of the machine. Further rotation of shaft 39 will bring the low point of cam 40 opposite the follower 41, and a second step of rocking movement will be imparted to shaft 44, to bring a series of spring alignor pawls 49 (Figs. 3, 4, 5) into engagement with the teeth of the pinions 15 and 17, giving a precisealignment of the type. during the printing operation.

Before the second step of movement has been imparted to shaft 44, however, the type carriers 16, 18, 19 are adjusted in'accordance with the I with the bail 51, and providing for the setting movement of the racks upon forward movement of bail 51 as effected by cams 50. That is to say, bail 51 will be given a movement sufllcient to allow for the maximum setting movement of the racks, and the racks will follow said bail as far as they are allowed by the various stops. Following the printing operation, bail 51 will be retracted by springs 52, and the racks will thereby be restored to normal position.

The printing of the value will be effected in mid-cycle by means of a roll 55 (Fig. 10) mounted eccentrically of drive shaft 34 and engaging a slot of an arm 56 connected by a link 57 with a bell crank lever 58, the latter having link connection 59 with the platen 60, the movements imparted by this train serving to bring the platen rapidly against thetype on the carriers 16, 18, 19, to print the value on the interposed check.

The check having been printed may be discharged from the machine by means of a friction roller 61 (Fig. 10) operable by pawl and ratchet 62, the pawl being reciprocated by means of a rack 63 pivoted upon an arm 64 operated against the tension of a return spring 65 by means of a roller 66 on the arm 56.

It is designed that the movement of the racks 10 and 11 shall register the amounts printed on the checks on a totalizer 67 (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5). For this purpose a cam- 68 on driven shaft 39 acts through a pivoted follower 69, links '70, cam arm '71 and rock frame '72 to move the pinions of the register wheels into mesh with supplemental racks '73, fixed upon the racks 10, 11 by pin and slot connections. This engaging movement takes place at mid-cycle, after the racks 10, 11 have moved against the key stops. Return of the racks 10, 11 will now, through supplemental racks '73 register the amounts in the totalizer 6'7, the racks '73 being arrested by engagement with a pivoted stop 74 (Fig. 4) at the time the racks 10, 11 have been returned to their zero position. For the purpose of carrying up the tens from one totalizer wheel to the next, a projection fast upon the lower order wheel will displace the stop '74 of the higher order wheel into the position shown in Fig. 4, allowing spring '75 to move the higher order supplemental racks '73, an additional step thus registering 1 on the higher order totalizer wheel. In the first part of the succeeding operative cycle of the machine, all of the supplemental racks '73 which have effected a tens carry are restored to their normal position (while out of mesh with the totalizer wheels 67) by means of a transverse bar '76 engaged by a push rod '77 operated by a pivoted arm 78 and finger 79 secured upon the driving shaft 34.

In the machine embodying the invention, several motor operation keys provide for various functions, these keys being shown in Fig. 3. To obtain a printing operation of the machine and an automatic clearing of the keyboard key 80 is depressed, this key rocking a lever 81 which, through link 82, arm 83, shaft 84 and the compound lever 85, shown in Fig. 9, engages a pin 86 fixed in stop tooth 38 and moves said stop tooth out of engagement with the clutch pawl 36, thus starting the machine. Near the end of the resulting cycle of operation, a pin 8'7, fixed in cam 40 (Fig. 10) will engage an intermediately pivoted lever 88, provided with pin 89 (Fig. 3) which will be moved downwardly against the shoulder 90 of a link 91 connected to a clear key 92, the clear key being thereby depressed at the end of the cycle of operation. This clear key is provided with a lug engaging an arm 93 of a pivoted plate 94, which plate is depressed by the key at its rearward end to contact with and move a rocker 95 (Fig. 8) against the shoulder of a sliding bar 96, provided with pins engaging the zero stop arms 31 of the key locks 21. This results in rocking the shafts 32 and disengaging the key locks 21 from the upper notches of any keys depressed, whereupon the key springs will restore such keys to raised position. The clear key 92 may also be manually depressed at any time to release any depressed digit keys.

Frequently a considerable number of checks may be printed having the same value, in which case it will not be desired to clear the keyboard at each operation. For this purpose a key 97 is provided (Fig. 3) this key engaging a rocker 98 provided with a pin 99 which operates to rock the lever 81 and engage the clutch in the manner previously described. At the same time, rocker 98 will disable the clear key mechanism, the link 91 of such mechanism being pivoted upon said rocker, so that as the key 97 is depressed shoulder 90 of link 91 will be moved out of the path of pin 89. This key 97 is designed to be engaged by a key lock 100, which lock is released at the end of a cycle by means of a link 101 (Fig. 10) connecting the lock with lever 88.

A key 102 is adapted upon depression to clear the keyboard and thereafter effect a cycle of movement of the machine in which mechanism will be operated to restore the wheels of the totalizer 67 to zero registering position. For this purpose a shoulder of key 102 engages a lever 103, forcing said leveragainst the pin 104 on clear key 92. Said key 102 also engages a rocker 105, bringing one arm of said rocker against a pin 106 fixed in the link 82 of the clutch mechanism. Thus upon depression of the key 102, the keyboard will be cleared and the clutch engaged. Rocker also has connection by means of a link 107 with a bell lever 108 (Fig. 11). The bell crank lever 108 engages a shipper frame 109 slidably mounted upon a stud 110 and having an arm engaging a channel on a hub 111. Fast upon hub 111 is the cam 68 controlling the normal engagement of the totalizer wheels 6'7 with their racks, and also fast upon this hub is a cam 112 (Fig. 3) similar to cam 68 but oppositely disposed with relation thereto. With key 102 depressed cam 112 will be brought into position to cooperate with follower 69, and cam 68 will be moved out.

of cooperative position therewith. Therefore, the totalizer wheels 67 will be brought into engagement with their racks at the beginning of the operative cycle and, the zero stop 31 being still held out of operative position by the clear key mechanism, the racks 10 and 11 will move forward without obstruction, rotating the totalizer wheels 67 backwardly until suitable pins on the wheels are engaged with zero stops in the well known manner. The wheels 67 being disengaged by the cam 112 during the return stroke of the racks, the wheels will be left in zero registering position, and the key 102 released from the lock 100 by the lever 88 and link 101, as previously described in connection with the key 97.

It will be noted, from an inspection of Fig. '7, that the digit keys are so formed as to provide for a flexible keyboard action. That is to say that the setting in any column may be changed by the mere depression of a second key in such column, whereupon the lock 21 will be rocked and the previously set key released.

I claim:

1. In a checkwriter, a bank of single digit keys, numeral designating type carriers including a reversely movable carrier provided with a series of progressively disposed numeral type and a series of regressively disposed numeral type, a setting member selectively adjustable to move the reversible carrier in one or in the other direction, a setting member engaging an adjacent carrier, means cooperating with a key of said bank to reverse the adjustment of the first-named setting member, and means cooperating with said key to control the extent of movement of the adjacent setting member.

2. In a checkwriter, a plurality of ordinal banks of single digit keys, numeral designating type carriers related to said keys and including a reversely movable carrier provided with a series of progressively disposed numeral type and a series of regressively disposed numeral type, a setting member selectively adjustable to move the reiii series of progressively disposed numeral type and a series of regressively disposed numeral type, setting members engaging the type carriers, including a member selectively adjustable to'move the reversible carrier in one or in the other direction, connections between each verbal type carrier and a corresponding figure typ carrier, adapted to provide for movement of said carriers in unison, means cooperating with the digit keys of each bank to control the extent of movement oi the related setting members, and means cooperating with one of said digit keys to reverse the adjustment of the adjustable setting member.

EDGAR ELLSWOR'I'H PHINNEY. 

